Judah P. Benjamin - by Robert Douthat Meade (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A rare Sephardic Jew in the Old South and a favorite of Jefferson Davis, Judah P. Benjamin has been described as "the brains of the Confederacy." He held three successive Confederate cabinet posts--attorney general, secretary of war, and secretary of state--but some have questioned Benjamin's loyalty to Davis and the extent of his influence. More than 140 years after Benjamin first appeared on the Confederate scene, historians still debate his place in the history of the Lost Cause. Robert Douthat Meade's absorbing account of the life of this enigmatic Civil War figure, who built a second brilliant career in England after the war, remains the definitive study of Benjamin.

Review Quotes

"A dramatic story, and though the author is careful and critical, he does not miss the drama in telling it."-- "New York Times Book Review"

About the Author

Robert Douthat Meade was also the author of Patrick Henry: Patriot in the Making and Patrick Henry: Practical Revolutionary. He was head of the history department at Randolph-Macon Woman's College from 1936 to 1971.

William C. Davis, former executive director of the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies at Virginia Tech University, has written numerous books, including An Honorable Defeat: The Last Days of the Confederate Government.